Stephen Gostkowski makes lasting impact with Patriots

Now 33 years old, Gostkowski is unequivocally one of the best draft picks the Patriots have made in the Bill Belichick era.

By Rich Garven /@RichGarvenTG

FOXBORO — The Patriots drafted 10 players in 2006, only one of whom made – and is still making – a significant and lasting impact in New England.

That would be kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who was selected in the fourth round (118th overall). That was 12 spots before tight end Garrett Mills and 18 after tackle Ryan O’Callaghan.

Now 33 years old, Gostkowski is unequivocally one of the best draft picks the Patriots have made in the Bill Belichick era.

Gostkowski is in his 12th season, making him second only to Tom Brady in terms of experience and tenure on the Patriots. The 40-year-old Brady is in his 18th season.

Gostkowski’s impressive résumé includes playing in four Super Bowls, helping deliver Lombardi Trophies to 1 Patriot Place in 2014 and ’16, and being named an All-Pro three times. He holds league marks for consecutive extra points made (478), reaching 1,000 points in the fewest games (119) and seasons leading the league in scoring (5).

With 1,613 points – and counting – Gostkowski is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and ranks 19th in league history. His career field goal percentage of .876 ranks third all-time.

Making it all the more impressive is Gostkowski, who was raised in Mississippi and attended the University of Memphis, has gotten it done in New England while frequently playing in challenging weather conditions.

“Steady Eddie,” special teams captain Matthew Slater said. “He’s been here 12 years. This is a difficult place to kick. I think you guys know that and Steve is as familiar with this place as anyone. He takes the time to prepare himself for whatever the elements will bring, whether it’s wind, rain, snow, sleet, cold, hot.

“He’s gone to great lengths to make sure that he’s prepared for all those situations. We have a lot of confidence in him. We have a lot of confidence in how consistent he’s been and he’s going to continue to be a guy we rely on heavily moving forward.”

Gostkowski and the Patriots kicked off the postseason Saturday night against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional round under clear skies with the temperature in the low 20s and winds blowing around 10 mph at Gillette Stadium.

As frosty as it was, that was practically balmy compared to the Patriots’ last game. They closed out the regular season here with a 26-6 win over the New York Jets on New Year’s Eve with the temperature 13 degrees, the wind clocked at 14 mph and a wind chill factor of minus-1.

It was the coldest regular-season game in franchise history.

“It was cold; it was a doozy,” said Gostkowski, who made his only field goal, a 21-yarder, and all three of his extra point attempts that night.

It was so cold Gostkowski wore sweatpants over his uniform, shedding them before he kicked. As for keeping his feet warm, the heated benches on the sideline are helpful – to a point.

“The problem with that is if you sit on them too long you can feel like a noodle,” Gostkowski said. “So it’s a fine balance of getting too hot or getting too cold.”

Gostkowski appeared in his 23rd postseason game Saturday night.

He came in ranked fourth in playoff history with 31 field goals, trailing ex-Pat Adam Vinatieri (56), David Akers (39) and Gary Anderson (32). He was third in scoring with 160 points, behind Vinatieri (234) and Akers (175).

The Patriots received a first-round bye for the eighth consecutive year, which allowed them to rest up and do some self-scouting. But for Gostkowski, punter/holder Ryan Allen and long snapper Joe Cardona, it was business as usual.

“When you kick and punt all the practices are pretty much the same,” Gostkowski said. “You work on the fundamentals, work on staying in rhythm, work on staying in tune with the timing of everything. That’s about it. It’s really just focusing on feeling good and feeling confident enough so when you go out there you can perform.”

Although Gostkowski wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl – Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell got the nod – he had a season worthy of selection. He finished second in the league in scoring with 156 points and made 37 of 40 field goals (.925), including a franchise-record 62-yarder against the Oakland Raiders at Mexico City in Week 11.